Where do Ottawa’s homeless find relief from extreme heat?

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As temperatures and humidity soar during the first major heat wave of the summer, Ottawa’s frontline workers are hitting the streets to help the city’s most vulnerable survive in dangerously hot temperatures.

“Summer can be as hard on people as the winter season,” Peter Tilley, CEO of the Ottawa Mission, said in an interview.

As Wednesday’s forecast calls for the mercury to peak at 34 C, with the humidity making temperatures feel closer to 43 C, Tilley urged community members to keep an eye open for those on the street who may be in distress.

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“Don’t assume they’re napping in the heat, go up and say, ‘are you ok? If you sense they’re in distress, call 911,” he said.

The Ottawa Mission’s frontline workers typically patrol the area around the shelter on Daly Street for people in distress, he said, but during extreme weather events, workers expand their patrol footprint, heading out every 30 minutes with water bottles around King Edward, Rideau and other streets in Lowertown. Frontline workers check alleyways, parking lots and porches for people who might be suffering from heat exposure, exhaustion, or other medical complications.

“We’re making sure, as much as we can, people are staying hydrated,” Tilley said. “If they’re outside, we remind them our facility is welcome to all, and we have air conditioning. So people are encouraged to come inside before they feel any harms of exposure.”

The Ottawa Mission, and other homeless shelters in the city, have been at or above capacity for months now, struggling with a prolonged housing and homelessness crisis. But Tilley said the Mission finds places for people who need to come inside.

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“Even though we’re overcrowded, at full capacity and beyond in terms of beds and mattresses we put down on the floor, we always have the lobby, the waiting area, and the dining hall that is cool, so people can rest up and come inside,” he said.

Tilley added the heat particularly poses a risk to people who are using substances or consuming alcohol.

“We wouldn’t want anyone to pass out in a dehydrated state, as everyone is aware, that would have medical complications,” he said.

During a meeting of the Ottawa Board of Health earlier in the week, Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches called the heat dome “a life-threatening event.”

Ottawa Public Health has entered into an “enhanced response” which includes ensuring that there are more places to cool down, that shelters stay open during the day to help people stay cool, and that public facilities stay open longer, she said.

Ottawa Public Health lists the 20 best options for people to cool down, including pools, beaches, splash pads and community centres, based on location within the city.

Starting Thursday, the city will extend its hours for outdoor pools in the midst of the heat wave.

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“In addition, all pools (indoor and outdoor) have converted lane swims to open swims to accommodate more participants during scheduled lane swims,” Dan Chenier, the city’s general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services, said in a press release.

Etches also said a van will monitor the city 21 hours a day for people struggling from the heat.

Similarly, frontline workers at Shepherds of Good Hope are also patrolling the blocks of Ottawa’s core, handing out water bottles and freezies.

Bernie Forestell, the shelter’s senior manager of communications, said the community kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, giving people a chance to recover indoors from the heat.

The Salvation Army’s Ottawa Booth Centre operates a mobile outreach van, which responds to 3-1-1 calls. The van service also works with Ottawa Police, paramedics and fire services, transporting those in need to emergency shelters.

While the shelter is typically closed for cleaning during the day, on hot days “we will make exceptions and bring people in if they’re exhibiting signs of distress,” he said.

Ottawa’s paramedics have been responding to medical emergencies directly related to heat.

On Tuesday, paramedics attended to two elderly people who had heat stroke, both of whom were taken to hospital in stable condition, and another person with heat exhaustion, he said.

“As the heat wave progresses, we’ll get more calls,” he said.

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